Any Cosmo Girl Would Have Known
by KT Welsh
Summary: [Legally Blonde] So how did Elle and Emmett first get together? *complete*
1. One: Elle

_Author's note & disclaimer:_ 'Legally Blonde' belongs to Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Amanda Brown et al. While I have read the source novel, this piece is based on the film. No profit is being made from this and I promise to return the characters relatively unscathed. This will eventually be a three-part fic, please read and review. Thanks.

**One: Elle**

_The rules of hair care are simple and finite. Any Cosmo girl would have known!_

Her earlier words were still echoing in her head as Elle Woods unlocked the door of her dorm room. The door had hardly closed behind her before she had collapsed on the bed and started to scream into the pillow.  Her ecstatic squealing lasted only until she realised that her makeup would be rubbing off on the Egyptian cotton pillowcase. Being possibly the happiest you'd ever been in your life was no excuse for smudged mascara and smeared lipstick.

Looking around the room for her purse, Elle caught Bruiser's eye. He was sitting patiently at her feet, waiting to be picked up and placed in his rightful spot on the bed. She bent over and scooped him up.

"I did it, Bruiser! I won Brooke's case! Can you believe it?" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly until he growled his displeasure at being squeezed a little too hard. Elle quickly set him down. "Sorry, sweetie, but it's so exciting!" The dog cocked his head to one side, as if trying to understand exactly why she was so excited. "You didn't like the courtroom, Bruiser?" He yapped. "That's too bad, because I guess we'll be spending a lot of time there in future!"

Smiling at the very thought, Elle spotted her purse and reached into it for her compact. She flipped it open and examined herself critically. The damage wasn't too bad, but there was still room for improvement. She had reapplied her lip gloss and was fixing the areas where her mascara had run when the enormity of what she had done hit her and Elle found herself staring blankly at her reflection. 

Suddenly she found she wasn't sure who the person staring back at her was. Sure, she was still a Cosmo girl, aware of all the latest fashion trends and how to exercise your way to a bikini-body, but suddenly she was so much more too. Law school had opened her eyes to the real world, and the real Elle. She knew now that she could do anything she wanted and be anyone she wanted. Though Elle knew she'd done most of it herself, she had to admit that some of the credit was owed elsewhere. 

Some of it was due to Paulette, who'd practically suffocated her when she'd hugged her in the courtroom. She supposed Warner had been involved in some way too, if only in bringing her to Harvard in the first place and then making her determined to succeed. Vivian had helped, and so had David. Her professors had definitely played a big part – there was no way Elle was going to acknowledge Callahan's help after what he'd tried to do, but Stromwell had come through for her. And then there was Emmett.

Emmett.

Elle realised with a pang that she hadn't even had the chance to speak to him after the verdict, to thank him for letting her try. Everything had been so crazy, what with everyone trying to get to her and congratulate her.  He'd taken her hand when she returned to Brooke's side after Chutney's outburst, and thought he hadn't said a word his smile had told her everything she needed to know about how proud he was. She'd glimpsed him once more and only for a brief moment after that, over Serena and Margot's heads as they jumped up and down and squealed in excitement in front of her. He had been slipping out of the courtroom, unnoticed by anyone but her, and as she'd caught his eye he'd raised his hand in farewell and smiled at her. She'd barely had time to smile back before Paulette had engulfed her again.

"Bruiser, what am I going to do?" she sighed. She snapped her compact shut and let herself fall backwards so that she was lying on the bed. "I think that maybe I'm in love with him and…well…I have no idea what to do." She shook her head at the absurdity of that thought. "And I'm the girl who's read every _Cosmopolitan_ article ever written on the subject of dating and men." 

Elle looked at her pet in the hope of finding the answer in his eyes, but was rewarded instead with a small snore. She sat up, giggling. 

"How can you sleep at a time like this?" she chided affectionately and then grew thoughtful once more.

The problem was Emmett was nothing like all the other guys she'd dated. They had been boys masquerading as men, Warner especially, while Emmett was a fully-fledged grown-up. He knew exactly what he wanted and where he was going in life. He was strong, and his quiet support of her need to help Brooke had made her feel independent but also protected. When she'd been about to leave, he'd asked her to stay. In court, he had stood beside her against Callahan despite the risks to his own career and reputation. As Elle thought about everything Emmett had done for her she felt a fluttering of excitement in her stomach. Surely he must care about her, to be willing to put everything he'd worked for on the line like that?

And yet she found she couldn't think of one shred of evidence to support the fact that he thought of her as more than a promising student. His behaviour towards her had been courteous and friendly ever since their meeting after Elle's disastrous class with Stromwell, but never had there been a hint of anything more. She'd told him to call her if he was ever in California, but he'd given her no indication whether he would have accepted the offer, either at face value or for what it really was; a tentative suggestion that something more than friendship was within their reach. She thought she'd detected a depth of feeling in his one-word request for her to remain in Boston, but maybe she'd been mistaken. After all, he hadn't put up much of a fight as she walked away. Maybe he didn't care about her that way at all.

It was with great effort that Elle made herself stop frowning at the thought that Emmett wasn't interested. Frowning caused wrinkles in later life and besides, he had to care about her. He just had to. In California everyone had cared about her, and she didn't see why Massachusetts should be any different. Elle Woods was special. 

Wasn't she?

Yes. But she was different, too. 

The realisation of just how much she'd changed hit Elle like a lightning bolt. With her previous crushes she'd have thought nothing of putting on her cutest pink outfit and flirting with her target non-stop. She would have consulted with Margot and Serena over every little detail of her strategy to catch his attention. The whole thing would have been planned like a military campaign, the 'bend-and-snap' routine perfectly executed, and the boy of her dreams wouldn't have stood a chance. But somehow Elle didn't think the same tactics would impress Emmett, and more importantly she didn't want him to be interested because of the way she looked. She wanted him to be impressed by her mind, but at Harvard smart girls were everywhere and if it weren't for her predilection for pink, Elle doubted she would stand out at all.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Elle exclaimed suddenly, shaking off the feeling of dread that had begun to creep over her. "Being on the East Coast is no excuse for moping!"

She jumped to her feet and marched over to her full-length mirror. Hands on hips, she addressed her reflection sternly.

"Now, you are more than blonde hair and big boobs. When you want something, you go after it. That's how you ended up here in this first place! So go on over there and make sure that butthead Emmett Richmond knows what he'd be missing out on!"

Elle paused for a moment and then nodded to herself.

"Good," she said, satisfied there would be no arguing back. Elle Woods could be a tough opponent, but both of her seemed to be in total agreement.

Snatching up her purse, Elle left Bruiser snoozing in her room and strode determinedly down the hall towards her destiny.

Her sudden surge of courage carried her all the way to Callahan's office and she was in the elevator before she faltered. She didn't even know if Emmett was there, and she had no idea where he would be if he wasn't. And she definitely did not want to run into Callahan right now.

"Ooh, I bet he's mad," she murmured to herself. "But he should never have tried to come on to me. I mean, what was he thinking? Like, I'd ever date someone that old!" She shuddered at the thought. While she was pleased she'd won Brooke's case for her, she definitely did not approve of her taste in men. Tall, dark-haired men with chocolate brown eyes were much more Elle's style.

Luckily, when she arrived at the right floor there was no-one around and Elle was able to walk unchallenged to Emmett's small office. The door was open and when she saw that he was sitting with his back to her she stopped, tempted to leave before he saw her. However, the sound of her Prada heels on the marble floor had already attracted his attention and before Elle could move Emmett had swung his chair around to face her.


	2. Two: Emmett

**Two: Emmett**

Emmett knew that Elle was in the building from the moment she arrived at reception, because over the last few weeks he'd become a master at sensing her presence, but he dared not look for her in case he was disappointed. Perhaps she wasn't coming to see him; maybe it was Callahan she wanted to talk to. Given what had happened, he doubted that was the case, but stranger things had happened. Like Elle being able to tell the cabana boy was gay from his comment about her shoes, for example.

The memory of Elle running into the courtroom with her stunning revelation still made him smile. He'd promised her he'd take care of it, and he had. He only wished he'd taken better care of her a few days later, when Callahan had put the moves on her. That thought was enough to make his smile fade; in fact it made his blood boil.  He'd respected Callahan since he was a student, and had been delighted when he was offered a position in his law firm. He'd been pleased to see his old mentor encouraging Elle to apply for an internship, but been disappointed when he'd subsequently mocked her about waking up one day and deciding to apply to law school. Emmett meant it when he told her he wanted her to take the power that being blonde gave her and channel it for the greater good. As far as he was concerned, Elle could do anything. 

He thought about the first time he'd seen her, storming across the grounds of Harvard and clearly distressed. She dropped down on the bench next to where he was sitting and though he hadn't been going to speak to her, somehow he couldn't help it. Even then he'd only intended to ask if she was all right but instead found himself telling her about Stromwell making him cry. He'd never told anyone that before, but for reasons unknown he wanted her to feel better. Emmett had suddenly found that he wanted to see her smile, and more importantly he wanted to be the one who'd made her smile. By the time he was giving her hints about dealing with her professors, he wanted to be the one who made Elle smile for the rest of her life.

And then Warner had interrupted him in mid-sentence and Elle had forgotten him.

Emmett could still remember the swell of emotions he'd experienced at that moment. He'd been slightly hurt that she'd prefer to talk to someone else. He'd been very annoyed because he could tell instantly that the guy was an ass who didn't deserve her. And he'd been unspeakably glad that he'd talked to her, even if it was only for a minute. 

It wasn't just that she was beautiful. She was, but then so were all the other girls he'd dated in the years before Elle had come into his life. It was more than that. He was impressed by her intelligence; the way she's succinctly argued against Warner's case for the sperm donor in Callahan's class had been a particular highlight. She was vulnerable yet incredibly strong. Emmett had seen how upset she was when she heard that Warner was engaged and noted the way Vivian had needled her in class, but she'd never allowed herself to break down in front of them. Instead, she'd fought back in the best possible way; by showing she was just as good – no, better – than they were. And then during her internship Elle had demonstrated initiative and integrity in spades. 

Every day they had worked together, Emmett had found himself devoting more and more time to thinking about her, though it didn't cross his mind to tell her how he felt or that he thought he was falling in love with her. He was older, more secure in his place in life than she was, and he felt she needed to find herself before she could devote time and energy to someone else. For Emmett, it had been enough just to be near to her and see her shine. 

Except, he thought, it wasn't going to be enough any more.  The case was over, and with it went his excuse for seeing Elle every day. Somehow, he didn't think the memory of how good she'd looked dressed as a bunny girl would be enough to sustain him, although it never failed to make him laugh. He was certain that this was more than a passing infatuation; this was the real thing. And that meant that it was time to let her know that he wanted to be more than the helpful guy who gave her exam pointers.

How would she react? That was the one thing he wasn't sure about. She seemed to like him, he thought. She'd smiled at him when she came into Callahan's first meeting with his interns, she seemed to enjoy spending time with him – or at least she enjoyed teasing him when they spent time together – and most importantly, she'd told him he could call her if he ever went to California. That had to mean something, right?

"Yes, it means she wants to stay your friend," he said aloud, chastising himself for thinking it could mean more. "And a platonic friend at that, no doubt. She probably thinks you're ancient, a relic just like Callahan. Although hopefully she doesn't think you're as sleazy." He paused, grimacing at the very thought of Elle thinking of him in the same way she thought of Callahan. "Hell, she's probably back with Warner, while you're sitting here talking to yourself!"

Warner Huntingdon III. Emmett hardly knew him but he wasn't about to let that small detail get in the way of hating him with a passion. Emmett been standing just outside the courtroom earlier that day when Elle had come out, hoping to grab her for a quiet word before she was caught up in the frenzy of reporters waiting for a comment on the verdict. However, he'd been stopped in his tracks when Warner came rushing out of the courtroom and had grabbed Elle for himself. Although Emmett hadn't been close enough to overhear exactly what was being said, he had been able to tell by the beseeching look on Warner's face that he was trying to charm Elle back into his arms, and it had been a real struggle not to go over there and tell the guy to get lost. Emmett thought Warner was arrogant, conceited and extremely lucky to have a place at Harvard; there was no doubt that it was his family connections that had got him into law school rather than his brain. 

"The guy was stupid enough to break up with Elle in the first place. What more proof do you need that he's dumb?" Emmett confirmed to himself. "But Elle is smart enough to see through his act, right?"

He found himself wishing he'd stuck around to see the end of their conversation, but the only way he could think of to prevent himself from punching Warner was leaving as quickly as he could. So he had, and now he found himself stuck in an agonising limbo; wanting to tell Elle how he felt, but not wanting to make her feel guilty if she was already back with Warner. 

"God, for someone who graduated in the top three of his class, I am a complete idiot sometimes!" he said, smacking himself on the forehead. "Why didn't I tell her how I felt first?"

"Who are you talking to?" 

Emmett swung around to find Callahan standing in the doorway of his office. If he'd thought that the scene in court today would have dented the older man's self confidence, he was wrong; Callahan's lofty attitude was still firmly in place.

"It was the radio. Can I help you?" Emmett asked frostily.

"Not especially," Callahan sneered at his one-time protégé. "I just came to tell that after that stunt you and Blondie pulled in court today, well…you're fired."

Emmett smiled. "You can't fire me," he said confidently.

Callahan started. "I'm a partner in this law firm, and I think you'll find that means I can do whatever I want."

"Not this time," Emmett shook his head. "You can't fire me."

"And why the hell not?" Callahan demanded to know, beginning to get angry.

Emmett reached down to the side of his chair and grabbed the cardboard box he'd brought in with him. He held it up so that Callahan could see it. "Because I understand that it's pretty much impossible to fire someone who doesn't actually work for you. I quit half an hour ago; I'm only here to clear out my office."

Callahan snorted disdainfully. "I could tell that little girl had you wrapped around her little finger after today's debacle, but she's not worth quitting over."

"I'm not quitting because of Elle, I'm quitting because of what you did to her. I would have done that regardless of who you'd tried to pull that stunt with. You're a disgrace to the profession," Emmett fired back coolly. He wasn't going to lose his temper; Callahan wasn't worth that.

Callahan shrugged. "Suit yourself. But you're throwing away your legal career. You know that, don't you?"

"I'll take my chances," Emmett retorted.

The older lawyer turned away before tossing one last remark back at Emmett over his shoulder. "If you're not out in half an hour, I'm sending security up to forcibly remove you."

"Jerk," Emmett muttered, swinging back around in his chair and wondering why Elle hadn't arrived yet. Perhaps she wasn't coming to see him, after all.

He had been staring at the wall contemplating his next move for another five minutes before he heard the unmistakable sound of high-heeled shoes on marble. It was getting louder; the owner of the shoes was getting closer to the door of his office. However, Emmett kept his eyes fixed on the wall until he had caught the by-now-familiar scent of Clinique's 'Happy' perfume and was absolutely certain of the identity of his visitor. Only then did he allow himself to turn around to face Elle.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In case anyone is frightened, reviewing is a pretty painless business, you know. Don't be afraid…


	3. Three: The End?

**Three: The End?**

"Hi, Emmett," Elle said softly, watching him rise to his feet and advance towards her. "I hope you don't mind me coming by like this."

"No, of course not!" he exclaimed. For a heart-stopping moment Elle thought that he was going to sweep her into a hug and she braced herself, excitement rising within her, but he suddenly stopped about a foot away from her and rather formally extended a hand in her direction instead. "I'm just surprised to see you; I thought you would have been out celebrating with your friends."

"Oh," Elle said, making an effort to quell her disappointment at his brisk, businesslike nature. "Well, I am going to go out, I just…I wanted to stop by and thank you again." She awkwardly reached to shake his hand. "So, thanks…I guess."

"Well, you're welcome," Emmett said. "Not that you really needed my help. You were awesome, Elle. Didn't I say that you could do anything?"

He smiled at her, and she suddenly felt much better. He thought she was awesome! This was it, she realised. She had to tell him how she felt about him. She had to tell him that he was just as awesome, if not more so. Taking a deep breath, Elle plunged into her confession.

"There was actually something else I wanted to say too, Emmett," she said. "It's about…well…I suppose that what I'm trying to tell you is…" Elle stopped as she realised he didn't seem to be listening to her; he was staring over her shoulder, a frown etched on his handsome features.

"What is it?" she asked, half-afraid to turn around for fear that she might see Callahan there.

"Hello, Warner," Emmett said, in an icy tone Elle had never heard before. His arms were folded across his chest and his stance imposing, and she realised that in all the time they'd spent together she'd never seen him glare so furiously at someone either; he hadn't even looked like that at Callahan in court.

At that, Elle turned to look, and groaned inwardly at the sight of her former boyfriend swaggering towards her, his usual confident smile in place.

"I thought you might be here," he said teasingly, waggling his finger at Elle. "Thinking of having this office as your own, are you?" He slung an arm around her shoulder possessively, ignoring her grimace.

She stared at him in disbelief. Hadn't her earlier brush-off registered? _Of course it won't have, Warner only hears what he wants to._ She had never met someone so arrogant, and all the attributes she'd once thought were so attractive paled in comparison with the charm and intelligence of the lawyer at her side.

"Warner, what are you-" Elle was in the process of putting him firmly in his place when the meaning of his words finally registered with her and she whirled around to stare at Emmett. "Why would I have this office, anyway? This is your office!"

"Not for much longer," Emmett informed her abruptly. "I quit. As soon as I pack up my stuff, I'll be leaving, never to return."

With that, he picked up one of the empty boxes which were strewn across the floor and began to pack up his things, methodically stacking his books in the carton and then taping the lid shut.

"Well, listen, it's been good, man," Warner said easily. "Maybe we'll see you around." He smiled at Elle. "Come on, baby, let's go. Margot and Serena have organised a party for you…everyone will be there."

"Hey, have fun," Emmett said, nodding in their direction as he seemed to become engrossed in wiping a speck of dust from an old football trophy. He looked at Elle and tried to smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and she belatedly realised that Warner still had his arm around her. Immediately she stepped away from him, so that it fell harmlessly to his side. "You deserve it, Elle." He ignored the boy standing next to her, who didn't notice the snub anyway because he was too busy checking out his reflection in the window.

 "But where are you going? What will you do?" Elle asked in horror, stepping forward so that she was standing right in front of his desk.  Emmett set a box down heavily on the polished surface and she took a frightened step back, wondering why he suddenly seemed so angry. "Will I…will I see you again?"

Emmett stopped in the act of taking his framed degree certificate off the wall. "I doubt it," he said. "But you don't need me anyway." His eyes flickered over Warner's face then landed back on Elle's. "You've proved you can do it, Elle. You can handle things on your own from here."

"But…even if I can…that doesn't mean that…you have to leave, does it? I mean-" She broke off in annoyance as Warner grabbed at her arm. 

"Come on, Pooh-bear, we have to go!" he implored her. 

"Warner, would you please leave us alone for a second?" she snapped, shaking him off again. "In fact, go to the party. I'll see you there in a little while."

He looked nonplussed by her rejection. "But I was going to drive you," he objected. "You don't have your car, and-"

"She'll take a cab," Emmett interjected, and Elle looked at him. With a small smile, he shrugged his shoulders, and she beamed back.

"Go, Warner," she added for good measure, and he finally took the hint.

After he'd left, Emmett resumed his packing and Elle stood there, unsure of what she should do. She spotted a pencil on the floor and briefly contemplated pulling the 'bend-and-snap' after all, but decided against it just as quickly. Instead, she began to help him with his packing, folding his Boston Red Sox shirt and placing it in the box as carefully as she would have if it had borne a Versace label.

"You don't have to do this, Elle." His voice was much gentler than it had been when Warner was there. "You should be out having fun, not stuck in here with me, getting covered in dust."

"But I want to be here, with you," she said unthinkingly, and her cheeks grew uncharacteristically red as she thought about how he might interpret that. Then, finding that she wanted to give him a hint of just how he should interpret it, Elle added, "I like…being with you."

She kept her head down as she said it, which meant that she completely missed Emmett smiling at her. But when he murmured the word "good" she heard him, and felt herself blush even more.

With their combined efforts it wasn't long until most of Emmett's belongings had been packed away; the last thing left was a stack of magazines under the desk. Gingerly getting down onto her hands and knees to retrieve them, Elle had filed half of them away before she glanced down at one and saw the title.

"Why are you reading _Cosmopolitan?" she asked, flipping through the pile to discover that all bore the same name. "You must have at least ten issues here."_

"Um, research?" Emmett said, and Elle wondered if he meant it to sound like a question.  "You know, I was trying to understand how a woman's mind works. I thought it might put me in a better position to help Brooke." Elle had started to read the latest issue and he took it from her hurriedly, dropping it into the box with the rest. "Plus I was able to verify your theory on exercise and endorphins. It was most helpful."

"Oh." Elle thought it was very odd, but accepted his explanation without questioning it further. Looking around herself, she was dismayed to discover that all of Emmett's possessions had been removed from their perches, and with them had gone her reason for staying. "Well, I guess I should get going."

"Yeah, I guess you should," Emmett agreed softly. He smiled at her. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Elle."

She looked up at his gorgeous face, understood that he meant exactly what he said, and suddenly all the words that she wanted to say to him swarmed into her brain at once, rendering her incapable of putting together a coherent sentence.

"Well, bye," she managed. Raising herself up on tiptoe, because she still wasn't tall enough to reach his cheek Elle contented herself with planting a gentle kiss on his strong jaw-line,  and allowed her lips to linger fractionally longer than she'd meant to. _After all, this will be the closest thing I get to a real kiss from him. _Then she grabbed her purse and stumbled from the room, tears almost blinding her.

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This was meant to be a three-part fic but I'd be cruel to end it like this, right? Who wants to see another chapter?


	4. Four: Definitely e

**Four: Definitely (e)**

While the receptionist called a cab for her, Elle locked herself in one of the stalls in the ladies room and sobbed her heart out, the noise of her distress echoing around the empty bathroom. She'd won her case, but lost the man she loved, and nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Not even the fact that her mascara was running. 

Elle stopped crying for a moment to consider whether she actually meant that. She did, and that realisation made her cry even more. She would have had her eyelashes tinted, or even gone without make-up if she'd suspected before now just how much she felt for Emmett, and now it was too late. In that moment, Elle knew just how much she felt for him; to go bare-faced in front of a man was the ultimate romantic gesture as far as she was concerned. Even if you partly did it because his rejecting you would make you cry until there were no tears left.

Finally she made herself get to her feet and check the damage. She winced when she saw her reflection. It would take a great deal of effort to regain her composure and fix her ruined makeup, but Elle knew that it would take a lot more to mend her broken heart. Being rejected by Emmett hurt so much more than being rejected by Warner had, probably because shortly after arriving at Harvard she'd come to realise that Warner was completely wrong for her. 

She knew that it hadn't happened just because she'd met Emmett and started to have feelings for him instead, although it had certainly helped. But anyone who could break up with a person by saying 'I need a Jackie, not a Marilyn' definitely was not swimming in the deep end of the intellectual pool. 

Elle knew that a lot of people assumed that she was shallow on being introduced to her. Vivian had; so had Enid. But Warner, she thought, seemed to be the only one who made the mistake of never quite revising that first impression of her. Unless…

Elle's heart stopped as she suddenly thought that perhaps Emmett considered her to be superficial too. Maybe that was the reason he wasn't interested in her. Then she dismissed that thought just as quickly as it had come. She couldn't compare Emmett and Warner in the slightest; despite the fact she'd said that he was, Emmett was most definitely not a butthead. Her heart wouldn't be breaking like this if he was. It was a strangely comforting thought, and one which she clung to as she began to fix her face for the second time that day. 

As she'd expected it took forever for Elle to make herself look even vaguely presentable again. Her reapplication of her eye make-up took an age because she couldn't stop her hand shaking, and even applying two coats of her favourite lip gloss wasn't enough to stop her lower lip trembling. However, when finally she was ready to leave the bathroom she did so with her head held high.

And ran smack into Emmett.

"Hey, I thought you'd gone," he said, lowering the box he was carrying to the ground.

"I'm just going," Elle said, her hurt pride making her unusually abrupt. "They're throwing a party for me, so I have to."

She pushed past him without waiting for a reply, relieved to see that a yellow taxicab was waiting for her at the kerb. She was about to get inside when she heard someone running up behind her. He grabbed her arm and turned her around, so that Elle found herself staring into chocolate brown eyes filled with emotion.

"I lied," Emmett said.

Elle was too sad and confused to bother trying to figure out what he was talking about, so she asked straight out instead. "What about?"

"About why I was reading _Cosmopolitan."_

His answer surprised her, and she shook her head in disbelief. She was heartbroken and he wanted to talk about his taste in magazines? "What are you talking about, Emmett?"

He smiled down at her, and her heart broke a little more. "I wasn't reading it for research, or to find out more about endorphins. I was reading it…to try and find out more about you."

"Me?" Elle asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, you. What you like, what you don't…you know, stuff like that." He hesitated. "And…what a guy like me can do to win your heart."

Suddenly she was smiling. "Win my heart?" she repeated, suddenly feeling faint. __

He looked slightly bashful, which only made him appear more adorable in Elle's eyes. "I did a couple of those quizzes they have, too," he confessed. "That's why I didn't want you to read it; I didn't want you to see the answers I'd ringed."

Elle couldn't resist. "How did you do?" she asked.

Emmett grinned at her. "Apparently I'd make a terrible bridesmaid, but you can count on me in a crisis. I was disappointed with the results of _Which fragrance is definitively you?_ though. I hate _Glow by J.Lo_."

"No, you're definitely more of a _Hugo Boss man. But don't feel too bad about it," she teased. "Some of those quiz questions are tough."_

"I didn't doubt that for a second. Actually, I was kind of hoping that you might help me out with one of them," he replied, his expression serious. "I have to admit that it's been causing me some concern."

"Really?" 

"Yes. And since I helped you out with the legal stuff, I thought you might want to return the favour," Emmett said. 

He leaned forward as he looked down at her, his hands resting on the door of the car at either side of her body. She couldn't get away; not that she wanted to. But Elle did find that she had to rest herself against the cab to be able to look up at him properly. 

"Which one?" she asked in a whisper because her mouth had suddenly gone very dry. And then as Emmett dipped his head towards her, she couldn't speak at all.

"_How good a kisser is he?_" he murmured just before their lips met.

The answer, Elle thought in that split-second before she lost all conscious thought, was definitely (e) – possibly the best kisser in the world ever. His lips were firm but not rough, gently caressing hers while she slid her arms up around his neck. There was nothing hurried about his embrace; unlike the other men she'd kissed. Emmett's easygoing attitude seemed to extend to almost everything he did, and Elle impatiently waited for more. When at long last he deepened the kiss she raised herself up on tiptoe to be closer to him and he held her gently about the waist, supporting her easily. They stayed like that for what seemed to be an eternity; it was a blissful forever that was only ever briefly interrupted by the honking of a car horn by an irritated cab driver, and both Elle and Emmett took great pleasure in ignoring him completely.

"Wow," Elle murmured when they at last, and very reluctantly, prised themselves apart. She giggled softly. "I don't think you need any help with that. Although to be honest, I knew that would be the answer without the demonstration."

"Is that so?" Emmett teased, brushing his lips against hers again for a fleeting moment. "And just how did you know that?"

Elle smiled up at him, knowing that this was what complete happiness felt like. Being First Runner-Up at the "Miss Hawaiian Tropics" contest…four hours in the hot tub with Warner…getting the internship at Callahan's firm…all of it paled in comparison with this moment.

"It's quite simple, really," she said, pulling him down for another kiss. "Looking at you, and seeing how perfect you are…well, any Cosmo girl would have known!"


End file.
